


Already Gone

by Ginny41



Category: IZONE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, Angst, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 16:34:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,616
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26401966
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ginny41/pseuds/Ginny41
Summary: She loved her to death.
Relationships: Kim Chaewon (IZONE)/Kim Minju
Comments: 2
Kudos: 30





	Already Gone

**Author's Note:**

> TW: Blood and violence, but not that much. It's a zombie AU after all.

**A/N:** In case you skipped the foreword, TW for blood and violence.  
  


* * *

  
  
  
The thing most movies didn’t get right about zombies was how they really worked, how they were more similar to carnivorous plants than raging animals. They wouldn’t run around, they didn’t show any sign of intelligence and they would start deteriorating in a matter of weeks. Yes, the infection was vicious and at first it spread like fire, most likely because people weren’t aware of what was going on and refused to attack the ones who they still saw as humans, but were only an empty vessel for the virus.

A year after the first wave of death and undead, the numbers were low now – on both sides, humans and zombies. The first wave had caused the most damage, people dying quickly not only thanks to the deadly virus but mostly thanks to their reckless behavior. Many didn’t believe it at first, the government tried to hide its existence, and others even took the chance to spread chaos and work havoc in the cities…Those were the scariest days, the days when most people lost their families and homes, when they had to make the hardest decisions of their lives and leave to never look back.

A year into that mess and Minjoo had lost so much, in more than one sense. She had lost her parents and siblings, she had lost her house and all the things she could rely on, she had lost all her plans and hopes. Moreover, she had lost her right to feel scared and to be vulnerable, she had lost the right to do things in her own time, having to grow up fast when she was only a college freshman.

That evening she would lose something else.

While zombies weren’t as intimidating once you learn about all their weaknesses and how to avoid them, they were still dangerous. The danger was usually in the big groups, they would just stick together and act like a mob – a single zombie wasn’t a problem, but with so many of them, it was almost impossible to come out alive once they started hunting their prey. The mobs and the element of surprise were the only things the undead had in their favor most of the time, yet it was enough to keep the few survivors out there always at the edge.

Minjoo was no exception.

She was running a food errand, one of the times they would go around looking for food at the small convenience stores and markets, avoiding the mass of undead to try and get enough food to spend as much time as they could inside the safety of their improvised hiding place – and by _their_ , she meant the abandoned apartment complex where she was living with Chaewon and the others for a while now; it took them a while to clear the place of any remaining undead, but most creatures were decomposing by the they arrived.

Different from what many expected, most places still had plenty of food and basic resources such as electricity and running water, all thanks to the automatized systems that kept things running. The people who tried robbing places and looting supermarkets for food at first, ended up as zombies that eventually rot in the very own place they once tried to take advantage of. 

Of course, with time, they could only rely on canned food and things that lasted for a long time, being careful with what they chose to eat since they couldn’t afford the risk of dying from food poisoning out of all things.

There was a mob of zombies right around the corner, most slow and barely functional, what meant that that day the group of girls was forced to separate. As usual, part of the team would try to create a distraction for the zombies, something noisy enough to drive them away for enough time for the rest of the group to gather food and search for anything useful. 

Minjoo entered the convenience store with Chaewon and Nako, she would try and get them some food, hoping the sweets weren’t expired – she could use a change in their ‘ramen and beans’ diet –, while Chae would be searching for basic necessities and Nako would see if they had anything interesting in the back of the store. 

It was a normal thing for them now, something they would do whenever it was needed and that didn’t really make her nervous anymore – or _almost_. She had a backpack on her shoulders and an iron pipe on her right hand just in case. Chae and Nako had their own improvised weapons as well. Again, it wasn’t like the movies, guns weren’t just lying around and in the very rare occasions they would come across one, they still lacked the knowledge about how to use it properly and Eunbi would keep it safe for emergencies.

That store, however, was clear of zombies for a while now. The marks of dry blood on the floor showing that whoever worked there once, was long gone just like their remains – be it as a corpse or part of the undead ones. Yujin and Yena, their ‘spy team’ – like they liked to call themselves – had checked the place before, the fast duo going in and out various places before deciding which one the team should go to next.

Min opened her backpack, throwing inside of it all sorts of items, making sure to pick some of her friends’ favorite snacks and filling the back to its full capacity. Maybe she could even get some plastic bags for extra food…She was pondering about it, when she heard Chaewon’s voice.

** “Minjoo.” ** Chaewon called from the other entrance of the store, she was fixing her bag full of stuff and looking outside, checking if it was all clear. **“I’m done here. But there is a drugstore right across the street, I will go there and see if I can get us anything useful.”** The older Kim explained, gesturing to the small place across the street – it looked as abandoned as the rest of the city, but Minjoo knew better than to trust the appearances.

** “Chae, just wait for me and Nako so we all can go together.”  ** She asked, not comfortable with the idea of having Chaewon going around on her own – they were a team, ever since she met Chae in the middle of bloody campus where chaos was ensued and she thought her life would end, but instead she found the one person she would rely on the most. “ **I’m done too. Let’s just wait for Nako, okay?”** She gave the other woman a smile, showing her the bag now filled with all sorts of food she could find – she even got them some candy bars and the chocolate Chaewon liked. **“I got your favorite!”**

Chaewon always had a grave expression when they were outside, but she showed a small smile to Minjoo, before nodding. **“Okay. We don’t have much time, so just go and get Nako. I will be on the lookout.”** Using her baseball bat to point the front door, she once more took position there.

Minjoo didn’t waste any time, checking her wristwatch to know if they were on time – the rule was clear, they always had ten minutes maximum to get things and then they should be out of there, it was the best way to make sure the mob wouldn’t head back before they were gone and the others didn’t have to risk themselves to keep the zombies entertained. She adjusted the cap she was wearing on her head, giving herself a look at the mirrored surface of the counter – her bangs were long gone now, but the hat hid well her messy hair and for once it was easy to smile at her own reflection. Nodding to herself, she went ahead to Nako’s meeting with a smile on her face, satisfied with the easy job they had today.

Of course, there is no such thing as an easy job in a world full of monsters.

When she opened the door of the small back room of the store, she found Nako using what was left of her broken baseball bat to keep a zombie from biting her face. The walking-corpse was a kid out of all things, with fresh wounds still open, parts of its face missing just to show the gritting teeth that kept on biting the air. The zombie had its arms stretched to get Nako who was cornered by a table, the bat stopping the zombie from reaching her face as it pinned her closer and closer to the walls.

** “Minjoo! Help!” ** The Japanese girl called, her arms almost giving in as sweat dripped from her forehead. Nako was actually surprised by the zombie, the little girl who looked so normal from behind, turned out to be one of the monsters in their most dangerous form. A recently turned zombie was strong and fast, hungry and blind to anything other than the need to feed – that little girl would eat her face just like others had done to her. Nako barely had time to react, the zombie charging against her as she frantically tried to hit it with the bat, only to miss the target and ruin her weapon. In a matter of seconds, the zombie was all over her and she barely could scream for help, the others unaware of the danger she was facing.

Minjoo, was taken aback by the sudden turn of events, feeling her whole body go rigid as she tried to take in what she was seeing and her grip on the iron pipe increased. She had killed a few zombies before, but most of them were not as human-looking as that kid, and most of the time she had beside her Chaewon and the others as a support. She could almost feel her hands shaking, but she didn’t even hesitate, swinging the pipe to hit the zombie as hard as she could right when the monster turned its head to look at her with empty eyes and an open mouth.

The pipe hit it right in the jaw, prompting the creature to fall on the ground as Nako took the chance to finally get out of its reach and came to Minjoo’s meeting. The shorter girl had tears on her face, a thankful look in her eyes as she glanced at Minjoo.

** “Are you alright?” ** Minjoo asked, feeling the pain from the reverberating energy of the impact of iron pipe still traveling through her body, her eyes going from the zombie to her friend as she observed if the girl was completely fine – a bite was always a risk and she prayed Nako was safe.

Maybe she should have prayed for herself instead.

Nako didn’t get the chance of replying, the door thrown open right at the moment the zombie once more rose up from the ground with its dislocated jaw and hungry eyes reaching for the girl. It was all too fast, Chaewon’s voice echoing as she asked if they were done, Minjoo reaching to pull Nako away from the zombie’s reach and her piercing scream as pain invaded her body.

Nako was safely out of the zombie’s reach, tripping to the side as Chaewon rushed in. But Minjoo now had the vicious teeth of the zombie inserted deep into the skin of her left hand, more than pain, shock was taking over her – shock and fear, the cold fingers of fear involving her and making her unable to properly act. It was _eating_ her. Black eyes boring holes in her soul just like its teeth did to her hand, as if the lifeless creature was telling it was all over – for the two of them.

Maybe the zombies didn’t bite others out of hunger, maybe they just wanted to pass on the suffering they now carried.

She should have kicked it, used the pipe to hit it until it left her alone, but she just could move. The fear was making her numb, eating her hope faster than the zombie could eat her meat. 

The monster's head flew back, leaving a trail of blood as the metallic baseball bat hit it strongly, Chaewon kicking the zombie aside as she hit it over and over until there was blood all over the place and the zombie was just a gooey mess on the floor. For a moment, all that could be heard was the sound of metal hitting rotting meat, blood splashing with each hit and covering the blue walls of the place just as it covered Chaewon’s white sweater and Minjoo’s jeans.

Minjoo didn’t move, her eyes still in the bitten hand from where blood was dripping now – she realized the zombie didn’t even make that much of a damage, leaving the marks of children’s teeth as if an angry sibling had bitten her out of revenge. It didn’t look that bad, she had worse wounds before. How ironic. 

** “Oh my god, Minjoo!” ** Nako was the first to speak, her voice breaking as she stared at Minjoo in horror. 

Chaewon, on the other hand, kept her silence taking in deep breaths as she watched Minjoo in her catatonic state. Chae still kept a strong grip around the bat as she approached the wounded girl, eyes sharp as she took Minjoo’s hand in between hers and examined it. **“It’s not so bad, just a scratch. Nako, help her to cover it. Make a tourniquet around her forearm, as tight as you can.”** She ordered, her voice firm and low. She didn’t sound worried, not even shaken.

Chaewon was _lying_ and they all knew it. It wasn’t just a scratch, it was so far from it.

The bite was a death sentence. Minjoo was already gone.

The shortest of the tree women looked at her for confirmation, her eyes swollen with tears as she gently grabbed Minjoo’s arm – seeing the blood that kept on dripping from the wound, she had to contain a sob. **“Minjoo…I-I am so sorry, I swear I didn’t…”**

** “Nako. I told you to cover it up. The tourniquet, use your jacket and do it as if _your_ life depended on it.” ** Chaewon cut her off, no signal of emotion on her face as she looked at the younger girl – in no moment her eyes met Minjoo’s, as if she was purposely avoiding them. Of course, she was. **“Wait for me by the front door, I will get something to treat her wounds and then we can go home.”**

Minjoo waited for Chaewon to say something, anything, that could comfort her. For the brunette to turn to her with her bright chestnut eyes and say it would be okay and give her a hug– like she always did. Yet, Chaewon didn’t even spare her a glance.

The brunette left them alone in the stuffed room, a crying Nako still holding onto Minjoo's hand as the blood turned the ground red while Minjoo’s face grew paler. There were tears on Minjoo’s face too, yet she didn’t let out a single sound as Nako tried to do the tourniquet with shaky hands, she could barely speak but she followed Chaewon’s instructions. **“I-I’m so sorry, Min...It’s my fault, I should have been more careful and…”**

** “Nako-chan.” ** Minjoo stared at her with dark brown eyes filled with tears, the salt taste of them reaching her mouth as the tears kept following like a cascade. **“Can we go home?”** She swallowed hard, feeling the tears blocking her throat as she tried to breathe. **“Please, I just want to go home.”**

* * *

Two figures were arguing in front of the closed door, gloomy expressions on their faces as they spoke – eight other figures just watched them from afar, the kids silently weeping as they tried to find solace in each other; Chaewon ignored their pitiful looks and caring words, she had a purpose and nothing would change her mind.

** “It’s up to me. Don’t get in the way.”  ** Chaewon informed firmly and full of impatience, her eyes dark and gloomy as she stared back at her best friend and the oldest member of the group, Eunbi. She knew it wasn’t fair, she knew it was probably crazy and hopeless. Still, she wouldn’t go back on her decisions, not when this was her one and only hope.

**“I’m sorry, Chae. I know…No, I can’t possibly know how you feel.”** Eunbi sighed, her hands resting on Chaewon’s shoulders, worry and sadness in her eyes. **“But you need to let her decide. It is…”**

** “Her life.” ** Chaewon clenched her fists, taking in a deep breath as she tried to contain the hot tear that insisted on filling her eyes ever since she saw the wound on Minjoo’s hand. **“But she is _my_ lifeline, Eunbi.”** Lifting her head up, she tried to get a hold of herself and remember that she couldn’t allow herself to be weak now. **“I can’t and I won’t lose her.”**

** “But what if you do?” ** Eunbi didn’t want to lose Minjoo as much as Chaewon, she was one of her precious friends. Yet, she knew it was a huge risk, a risk she wasn’t sure they could afford. Minjoo was still one of them, but with the virus in her bloodstream, she might no longer be one of them by tomorrow. In a couple of hours, she may be as hungry and violent as the creature who attacked them, maybe even worse. By tomorrow, all traces of the loving, gentle and caring girl may be reduced to a monstrosity. 

Chae clenched her fists ever tighter, gritting her teeth as she rested her hand on the door knob. **“Then you can finally use those guns of yours and shoot us both.”** She didn’t look to see Eunbi’s reaction, entering the room and closing the door after her.

* * *

Minjoo was sitting by the corner of her bed, she was hugging her knees with her right arm, while the other remained in a tight tourniquet that was almost as painful as the stingy bite in her hand – Nako was still by her side, she had stopped crying and was taking care of her bandages like a proper nurse would do. The shorter girl had helped her to come all the way to the apartment, while Chaewon walked behind them, silently acting as a bodyguard as she guided them back home with quick steps. It’s only been ten minutes, but it felt like forever. 

Chaewon never directed her a word, shouting orders to everyone instead of talking to her. Minjoo wondered if the girl hated her now, if she hated her for burdening the group even more, if Chaewon regretted saving her back there…Those were stupid thoughts, thoughts that she entertained because everything else on her mind right now was even worse. 

Suddenly she tried to recall all the information she had on the people who were infected. How long would it take? Would she die first or the virus would take over her while she was still conscious and then she would suffer inside as the monster was revealed? What would her friends do? The zombie didn’t get to eat her, but was it that better to have her own family – the only one she had left – having to kill her before she could kill them? 

Her body shivered and the taste of blood filled her mouth as she bit down on her lower lip, trying to contain the sobs that shook her so badly. She survived over a year in that apocalyptic world only to die in such a way. To end up as one of the creatures she hated so much.

She knew she should get out and say goodbye to everyone who had been her family for this year, to give herself a chance of having some sort of closure. To try and talk to Chaewon one last time before leaving. Yet, she couldn’t move, hoping, praying for a miracle she knew wouldn’t happen. 

** “Nako, leave us alone.” ** Chaewon entered the room suddenly, her face still contracted in a gloomy expression as she gestured for the Japanese woman to leave the room. It wasn’t like her to be this rude, but nothing was going as usual today. 

Nako looked at Minjoo with her big doe eyes, leaning in to give her a tight hug, whispering softly. **“I’m sorry. Thank you. I love you, Min.”** A goodbye, simple and honest. The sweet words only made Minjoo want to cry even harder, the words getting caught in her throat as she nodded weakly in reply. She wanted to return the hug, but she didn’t want to touch Nako with her dirty hands – she was also afraid that if she did hug the girl, she wouldn’t ever let go, afraid of being left alone to face her bitter fate. But she had to do it, now wasn’t the time to be egoistic.

As soon as they were left alone, Chaewon stopped in front of her, taking several items from a plastic bag as she quickly fixed everything – medicine, needles, syringes, a knife-like instrument…Minjoo didn’t need to be a genius to understand what were Chaewon’s intention.

** “Chaewon…Please, don’t.” ** She asked, her voice timid and broken, too tired to impose herself. 

** “You need to trust me here.” ** Chaewon was quick to reply, once more she wasn’t looking at her eyes, but instead trying to prepare her right arm to apply whatever medication she had got at the drugstore. 

** “Chae…” ** She tried again, although she didn’t try to stop the girl from doing whatever she thought she should – Minjoo knew that for Chaewon it was her own way of dealing with this. 

** “I have two theories, one of them must be right so just let me do it.” ** Of course, Chaewon didn’t hate her. Right now, as she prepared the medication, Minjoo could notice how hard she was trying to keep her composure, focusing on more practical matters instead of thinking about the imminent tragedy. Chae didn’t hate her, she loved her until the very end.

Minjoo tried to swallow her tears, ignoring the stingy pain of the needle in her arm as Chaewon administered the medicine before going back to preparing other stuff. **“What is this?”**

** “Antivirals, the strongest I could get.” ** Chae replied, still too busy preparing an IV drop to look at her. **“It will stop the virus from spreading and kill it before it can…Nako did a good job with the tourniquet, it should slow down the spread and we can-”**

** “Cut off my arm. That’s the second theory.”  ** Minjoo knew it all, she had seen it before. People doing all sorts of things to escape the virus, searching for a magic solution that could save them even when it may be too late – most of the time it was. She wasn’t even sure when ‘too late’ was, but she knew the chances of succeeding were as slim as the chances of that world being freed of those creatures. **“Chae, it doesn’t work.”** The admission hurts, it made her voice crack as she sacrificed the silly hope for the wellbeing of the person she loved the most. Looking at Chaewon, she could only see a blur through the tears. **“You can’t save me.”**

Chaewon flinched, her hands gripping tightly to the medication package. **“We don’t know yet. Every person is different. You may not even be vulnerable to it.”** It wasn’t hope, it was her being stubborn, believing that if she tried hard enough she could, somehow, make her words true. **“We have to try.”**

Minjoo tried to push away the tears, trying to have a proper look at Chaewon for what could be the last time. Her girlfriend seemed so fragile now, in her clothes that were too big, the sweater still marked with blood, the disheveled hair that showed how many times she must have ran her hand through it. Chae’s reliable hands worked diligently, but Minjoo could see the way her lips were quivering, the chestnut eyes dark and heavy as she tried to present a façade. Minjoo felt her heart sink even further inside her chest, pained with regrets – they had so little time together and now she would leave Chaewon on her own again. **“Can’t you just look at me?”**

The simple request was almost too much for Chaewon. She wasn’t trying to be cold, she was just afraid that once she saw Minjoo in that state, she wouldn’t be able to keep herself away from breaking down. Leaving the package at the small nightstand, she slowly lifted her gaze to meet Minjoo’s.

** “I know, Min. I know.” ** She said, finally risking looking at her girlfriend. The image of devastated Minjoo broke her inside, seeing the eyes that were so beautiful full of pain and sorrow, the pale face marked by tears and the trembling body…Chaewon couldn’t allow this to be the end **. “But I can’t just let you go like this. I know it’s selfish and stupid and…”** Taking in a deep breath, she tried her best to not cry.

Shaking her head, Minjoo tried to force a smile, trying to comfort her girl one last time. Could she even do it? It would be easier to just give in and allow Chaewon to do what she thought was the best, but she didn’t want to give them any more false hope. If it was her last day, she wanted to be with the people she loved. **“You can send me away peacefully…”** She pointed out the box of medicine Chaewon had left with some others, a strong anesthetic. Before all that happened, Chaewon was studying to be a doctor and she was the one responsible to find them all medicine that could be useful – they had never needed that one until now. **“I know what that is.”**

Chaewon closed her eyes, ignoring the pungent pain inside her chest. No, that was their last option and she wouldn’t use it until it was strictly necessary – and only gods know if even then she would be able to do so. **“Please, for one last time, let me try.”** She begged, opening her eyes to meet the dark pools of chocolate that were Minjoo’s. She had spoken to that girl for the first time in the day her world ended, a day where they both were lost and scared, yet found comfort in each other’s presence – since then she had learned to trust and love Minjoo like no other. She was her reason to keep going and Chaewon couldn’t afford to lose her. **“Please, Minjoo. For us.”**

Reaching out with a shaky hand, Minjoo grabbed onto Chaewon’s hand with her right one. It was cold, the rough skin against hers as Chae returned the grip, both shaky, both barely holding in. She could still recall the first time they held hands, back then it was just a way to sticking together as they ran away. Since then so much had changed and her fingers just knew every centimeter of Chaewon’s hands that fitted hers so well – she didn’t want this time to be the last they would do it. **“I just want you to be with me ‘till the end, but I don’t want to put you in danger.”**

** “There is nothing you or anyone can do to take me away from you.” ** Giving up on her façade, Chaewon sat down on the bed and pulled Minjoo into a tight hug from which the girl couldn’t break away. Minjoo moved, but she didn’t budge, her arms holding her dearly. Minjoo’s body was still warm and fragile between her arms, yet those arms were her only home. “ **Min, every day I wake up in this shitty world and I wonder if it’s even worth living like this, always hiding and running, scared of everything…But then I see you and I think that I want to live, I want to live to be with you when this whole thing is over and we can finally be happy together.”** The confession was said right into her ear, Chaewon’s voice low and sincere. She had so many plans for them, silly hopes she kept inside her heart and could only be whispered to Minjoo in the late nights while they cuddled together and pretended they would wake up to a better day tomorrow. **“You are my everything, Minjoo. Everything I have and that I love.”** She felt her tears starting to fall, wetting Minjoo’s shoulder just as the girl finally hugged her back. Chaewon sobbed, praying to whatever god there was, to give her the power to save Minjoo. **“You can’t leave me alone.”**

** “Then be with me, all the way.” ** Minjoo gave in, hugging Chaewon tightly. It was futile, of course, she knew they were fighting a lost battle – still, she wanted to give them this last hope even if it was the last thing she could do for Chaewon. **“Just make sure I can see you one last time…Regardless of what happens.”**

Chaewon gulped down, nodding. Whether they succeed or not, Minjoo wanted the chance for a final goodbye and she wouldn’t deny her that. **“I promise.”**

* * *

Hours later, Chaewon sat beside a sleepy Minjoo. 

Inducing her to sleep without using inhaled anesthetics meant keeping her in heavy medication for hours – but Chaewon wanted to make sure she wouldn’t be in pain, but as comfortable as possible. Operating in such an improvised place wasn’t the ideal, but right now they had no other choice. 

No one in the group except her had any medical knowledge, therefore she had intimated Nako and Eunbi to help, giving them instructions as she proceeded. Stopping the bleeding and keeping Minjoo unconscious were the hardest parts, however amputations were far from being the most complex medical procedure – albeit it was a gruesome one. She had to use all her knowledge to come up with a good combination of medications, trying to prevent the virus from spreading as well as any secondary infection and the risks of blood clots being formed as well as intense inflammation…There was so much that could go wrong, even if Minjoo didn’t _turn_. Yet, here she was, hoping it had worked somehow.

The IV drop was gone after having done its job of replacing some of the lost blood with more liquid and dissolve the medication in her bloodstream, therefore Minjoo should wake up soon enough. She _should_ , but as time went by the woman showed no signs of doing so. 

People took from six to twelve hours to turn, that was what the initial reports showed – not that Chae could rely on them, the government and everyone else had been so wrong about so much back then. Still, those reports were the only thing guiding her now, as she waited for the long night to pass.

All the other girls came to see Minjoo – and say their goodbyes with teary eyes and sweet words, that Chaewon purposely ignored. Until the last moment, she wanted to have faith, not in luck, but in Minjoo. 

Laying on the bed, she hugged the unconscious girl, resting her head in the crook of her neck, rubbing her cheek against the soft skin. She could feel her heart beating, the slow rise and fall of her chest. Her rational side wanted to count the frequency and check if everything was fine, but she ignored it. Of course, all of Minjoo’s vitals would be different, be it from the stress, the hypovolemic shock or even the infection spreading – she wouldn’t be able to tell. Right now, all she could do was wait. 

Maybe it was just her mind playing tricks on her, maybe it was her brain actually registering what she chose to ignore, but she felt as if Minjoo was getting a little colder, her breath a little slower, as if every moment took her a little farther away.

Chaewon could feel her own body shivering, exhausted after so many hours, as she hugged Minjoo better, trying to keep her warm. **“Wake up, sleepy head.”** She asked gently, planting light kisses on Minjoo’s cheek and jaw, hugging her a little tighter. **“You told me to wake you up, so please do. I don’t want to break my promise.”** She kissed her once more, snuggling up to the girl. The sun would be out soon, marking over ten hours of the incident, meaning she shouldn’t be near Minjoo if she were to wake up as something other than her beloved girlfriend – still, she only got closer, wanting to be the first to see Minjoo’s beautiful eyes once she woke up. She wouldn’t, she _couldn’t_ bear to think Min wouldn’t wake up.

Closing her own eyes, she tried to visualize a different scenario, where it would just be another lazy Sunday morning as the sun illuminated the room in golden and orange. A scene where Minjoo would be sleeping peacefully and wake up with a smile on her lips, a world where Chaewon could just kiss her infinitely and they would just giggle and share silly love confessions. A world where their only worry would be which food to pick or how much homework they had been assigned, or even bicker about who would do the dishes or whose family visit that day…This world so far away was something she pictured so many times before. 

Even before the world fell in disgrace, even before Minjoo ever noticed her, Chaewon had seen the cute freshman from another department on campus. She had seen her and fell for her instantly, her eyes following her as the girl passed by even if she wasn’t brave enough to introduce herself to her. Back then she thought it would just be it: platonic love and hopeless dreams, she thought Minjoo would only be a little crush that put a smile on her face and made her days a little better. However, fate had brought them together in the most unexpected way, the only good thing in this hell they had been living. 

Now Minjoo was part of her life and soul, the one person she would hold close and whisper shy ‘I love you’s every night and wake up to every day. The one she always kept in mind and who was able to warm her heart with a single smile, the only person who could make her have faith in a better tomorrow.

She didn’t lie when she said Minjoo was her lifeline, she was the one thing that kept her from giving up. But more than this, Minjoo was the best person she had ever met and someone who deserved her happy ending – a happy ending she wished she could give her. **“Come on, love, come back to me.”**

* * *

The sun fully illuminated the room when Chaewon finally felt Minjoo move in her embrace, prompting her to open her eyes, ready to welcome her girl back. 

A grunt, and then another one louder as the girl moved again. 

Chaewon’s pupil dilated, her eyes opening wide as she held Minjoo with a stronger grip. She didn’t look at her, instead her gaze went to the pistol Eunbi had left on the nightstand for her as a precaution. 

It was stupid, after all, Chaewon loved Minjoo _to death_.

** “I promised you would see me here, so I’m not going anywhere.”  ** Her eyes started burning as she turned the girl inside her arms, she leaned in to kiss the grunting woman even if it was the last time, the last thing she would ever do.

Hot tears fell from her eyes as she kissed Minjoo, expecting for the woman to attack her at any moment, expecting this act of love to become her doom. Yet, it never happened. Min’s lips were dry under hers, but gentle. The woman whined softly, returning the kiss for a moment before pulling away. 

Dark brown, like hot chocolate with little sugar dots – this was the sight that greeted Chaewon as she opened her eyes to meet Minjoo’s. Not black, not lifeless or dead. Those were Minjoo’s eyes, _her_ Minjoo. 

It’s been over twelve hours, but Minjoo was still Minjoo and nothing else. 

** “Chae, it hurts. My arm…” ** The younger Kim said, her voice hoarse and tired, a pained expression on her face as she checked her now much shorter arm. **“Why does it hurt so much?”** Those grunts weren’t a fruit from the virus taking over her brain, but from the pain caused by the amputation. **“Chaewon?”**

Chaewon couldn’t help but to be shaken by sobs as she hugged the girl tighter. Soon enough she would get Minjoo some painkillers, but now she could barely move, overwhelmed by the emotion. She had tried her best, still she always knew there was barely any hope, but now they had received their own miracle and she could only think about how grateful she was for having Minjoo back in her life. **“I love you, I love you so much! Please don’t ever leave me!”**

Minjoo couldn’t react properly, still a little drowsy from all medication and the sleep, when Chaewon tackled her into another hug. Kisses were placed all over her face and the sweet words were almost enough to make her forget about the pain. 

Almost. 

Albeit she accepted the kisses, now another kind of pain was bothering her as she hugged Chaewon with her right arm. The memories from yesterday were coming back strong, the fear and hopelessness. The long hours where she would fluctuate from consciousness to the deep sleep full of nothing but a pitch-black void where she fell infinitely in pain – she didn’t think she would ever be freed from it. This pain was much stronger than any physical pain. However, it faded away as she felt Chaewon’s arms around her, the warm kisses and loving words welcoming her back – back to life. 

Chae had kept her word. 

** “I love you, Chae. I won’t go anywhere!” ** She let out a chuckle mixed with her tears as she clung onto Chaewon even more, crying her heart out. Whether it was thanks to the medicine, the surgery or even something innate to her, she was safe and she didn’t even care if for it she had to lose an arm. She was alive and Chaewon was there with her, it was all that mattered. 

Later, when both women regained control over their emotions and Chaewon went back to her ‘doctor mode’ to give her some medicine and make sure everything was fine, the duo could finally talk properly – but they didn’t. Even if Minjoo had slept for so long under anesthesia, she still felt exhausted and Chaewon who had kept her company all night, could barely keep her eyes open. It was only natural for them to fall asleep, this time a calm, dreamless sleep that could provide them the rest they truly deserve.

Of course, having informed their friends about what happened would have been the best choice, but it never occurred to any of them. And as result, hours later Eunbi and Chaeyeon were forced to enter the room with weapons in hand, ready to fight any threats and expecting to find the worst, only to find the Kim couple all over each, sleeping peacefully even under the high temperatures of the afternoon. 

Eunbi only sighed, relief washing over her as she grabbed the pistol and made sure to put it back in its safe place. Maybe someday they would need it, but not today. 

**Author's Note:**

> I like to call it ‘horror fluff’, but I don’t think it would be a valid tag. I guess everyone who knows me a bit could tell how the story would turn out (if you are an angst lover and is disappointed, well I guess my stories will never be for you XD). And yeah, if this is a pseudo-science work I can save anyone I want! It’s pretty short since I wrote it in a few hours, just to get this out of my chest.
> 
> Special thanks to Kuna who reminded me of this idea I had a while back, thanks Kuna and sorry for making you cry! Also Guka for the cover and Charlie for being my reviewer.
> 
> Thanks for reading, sorry about any mistakes. Also, let me know if you want to see a little prequel for this. See you soon!


End file.
